This present disclosure relates to bottom unloading auger systems used to convey or unload material stored in an open pile or in silos, bins, domes, buildings, or other storage structures. This material is typically a bulk solid with flowable, semi-flowable, or poor flow characteristics. The storage structures are often cylindrical silos with either flat or conical floors, but can also be hemispherical domes or rectangular buildings. The material is typically loaded into the storage structure from the top and unloaded from the bottom. The bottom unloading auger systems are usually positioned under the pile of material to be conveyed or unloaded, or adjacent to the bottom of the pile.
Typical bottom unloading auger systems consist of an auger that is either covered with stored material, or is positioned adjacent to the bottom of a pile of stored material. The auger rotates about its linear axis in order to convey material to one end of the auger and then into in a secondary conveying device. While the auger is rotating about its linear axis it is also advancing into the pile of material. There are two basic types of bottom unloading auger systems: 1) augers that move linearly through a pile of material, conveying the stored material to a secondary conveyor outside the pile, and 2) augers that rotate in circular fashion through the pile, conveying the stored material to the center point and into a secondary conveyor. Such augers can be used to move piles of material located within various storage vessels (such as buildings, tanks, silos, or domes) or they can be used to move material stored in “open piles” that are not inside any storage building. As the amount of stored material increases (that is, with larger diameter and/or taller storage vessels, or with larger open piles), the various loads that the auger and its mechanical drive system experiences also increase. As a result, longer augers need to be supported at the end and sometimes at intermediate points as well. Augers can be supported either from below by using a wheel that rests on the floor or from above by a hanger attached to a rigid structure located above the auger. The auger support (whether a wheel or a hanger) must then push though the pile of material ahead of it, as the auger advances into the material pile. The auger support introduces a problem since it becomes a section of the auger system that is not actively cutting or conveying the pile of material. This can result in high resistance which impedes the ability of the auger system to advance into the material pile. A small obstruction, especially in dense or compacted materials, can create a substantial increase in the loads experienced by the auger system. Designing for such loads would increase the cost of the system tremendously and therefore challenge the feasibility of the auger system. Additionally, this obstruction can reduce or prevent material flow rendering the auger system ineffective. Furthermore an obstruction or blockage would require personnel entry into the storage area where high piles of material create substantial safety concerns. It is therefore important to reduce, as much as possible, the resistive loads seen by the auger support (wheel or hanger). It is helpful to design the auger support to be as narrow as possible, and to locate cutting blades or stimulation tabs as close as possible to both sides of the auger support in order to help cut or loosen the adjacent material. However these measures cannot effectively cut or loosen the material that is immediately in front of the auger support. Thus, the high resistive loads impeding auger advancement have remained a significant problem. An improved auger support system is needed.